The present invention relates to a press with an automatic tool changing function which is a punch press having a function of automatically changing cartridges with tools mounted thereon. The present invention also relates to a tool cartridge changing device for exchanging a cartridge between a cartridge magazine and a production machine such as a punch press which uses cartridges with tools mounted thereon.
A conventional cartridge-type press with an automatic tool changing function comprises cartridge magazines 102 arranged in parallel in such a manner as to extend in opposite directions from a punch press 101, and a transferring and loading cart 103 that can run between a cartridge changing position 101a of the punch press 101 and each of the cartridge magazines 102, as shown in FIG. 21 (The Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication (Tokkai-Hei) 11-290072).
Further, another such a press has been proposed which has a running path for the transferring and loading cart 103 arranged between the row of cartridge magazines 102 and a work table 104, as shown in FIG. 22.
Cartridges are transferred between the punch press 101 and the transferring and loading cart 103 using a cartridge advancing and retreating device provided in the punch press 101. The cartridges are transferred between each of the magazines 102 and the transferring and loading cart 103 using a cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism provided in each magazine.
In both of the proposed examples, however, to exchange cartridges 105 between the punch press 101 and the cartridge magazine 102, the cartridges 105 must be mounted on the transferring and loading cart 103, which must then be run. Even when the cartridges 105 are to exchanged with the cartridge magazine 102 located closest to the punch press 101, the transferring and loading cart 103 must be run. Thus, a large amount of time has been required to change the cartridges 105.
Further, the above configuration requires the cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism for each of the large number of cartridge magazines 102. These cartridge moving-in and -out mechanisms each have a drive source and the cartridge magazine 102 thus has a complicated configuration, thereby increasing costs.
Furthermore, the cartridge advancing and retreating device of the punch press 101 must have a large stroke to allow the cartridges to be moved into and out from the transferring and loading cart 103. The cartridge advancing and retreating device is a mechanism provided for selecting one of the tools on the cartridges by moving the cartridges, and if the stroke is excessively increased to allow this device to be also used to change the cartridges, thermal expansion must be taken into consideration and other accuracy problems may occur. The above example comprises a cartridge type punch press, but similar problems generally occur in production machines using cartridges.
As an invention that solves these problems, the applicant has proposed a device including the cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism mounted on the transferring and loading cart (The Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (Tokugan 2000-051315). This invention is insufficient in terms of the capability of efficiently transferring and loading a plurality of cartridges. Another problem with this invention is that a setup operation such as replacement of the tools mounted on the cartridges is inefficient.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a press with an automatic tool changing function which can reduce the amount of time required to change cartridges.
It is another object of the present invention to simplify a mechanism for changing cartridges to save space and further reduce the amount of time for the change.
It is yet another object of the present invention to further simplify the mechanism for changing cartridges to reduce costs.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a tool cartridge changing device that can simplify the entire production facility including a production machine and magazines and can reduce the amount of time required to change cartridges.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a tool cartridge changing device that can simplify the entire production facility including a production machine and magazines and can efficiently set up cartridges.
It is still another object of the present invention to enable both a punch tool and a die tool to be set up easily, the punch tool and the die tool each being mounted on a corresponding one of a vertical pair of cartridges.
It is still another object of the present invention to enable safe setup operations.
A press with an automatic tool changing function according to the present invention comprises a punch press for using cartridges with tools mounted thereon to process works, the punch press having a change position where the cartridges are changed, and a cartridge transferring and loading device for drawing out the cartridges from the changing position via a linear path and transferring and loading the cartridges on a cartridge magazine located on an extension of the linear path.
With this configuration, the cartridge transferring and loading device draws out the cartridges from the change position of the punch press via the linear path and transfers and loads the cartridges in the cartridge magazine located on the extension of the linear path. Thus, the cartridges can be transferred and loaded in the cartridge magazine without the need to run the transferring and loading cart, thereby reducing the amount of time required to change the cartridge.
According to the present invention, the cartridge transferring and loading device may have a cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism that moves both forward and backward to transfer and load the cartridges both at the change position of the punch press and in the cartridge magazine.
With this configuration, the cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism moves both forward and backward to transfer and load the cartridges both at the change position of the punch press and in the cartridge magazine. Thus, one continuous operation of the single cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism allows the cartridges to be drawn out from the punch press and housed in the cartridge magazine, thereby eliminating useless movements. Consequently, energy is saved and the configuration of the cartridge transferring and loading device is simplified, thereby saving space and further reducing the amount of time required to change the cartridges.
The cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism may use one actuator to drive both the moving-forward and -backward operations. Thus using the only one actuator serves to further reduce the structure and costs.
A tool cartridge changing device of the present invention changes cartridges for a production device for processing works using tools mounted on the cartridges, and comprises a transferring and loading cart that runs on a linearly extending running path and a plurality of cartridge magazines arranged close to and parallel with the running path and in each of which the cartridges can be housed. The transferring and loading cart has a plurality of cartridge housing sections provided at the same pitch as an arrangement pitch of the cartridge magazines and cartridge moving-in and -out mechanisms each provided so as to correspond to one of the cartridge housing sections, for moving the cartridges into and out from the cartridge housing section. With this configuration, since the cartridge transferring and loading device has the cartridge moving-in and -out mechanisms that can move the cartridges in and out, the cartridge magazines and the production machine are not required to have a drive mechanism for allowing the cartridges to be transferred and loaded. Thus, even if a large number of cartridge magazines are provided, the individual magazines are not required to have a drive mechanism for moving the cartridges in and out, resulting in a simple configuration. Since the transferring and loading cart has the plurality of cartridge housing sections, it is possible to receive used cartridges in an empty cartridge housing section and then insert other cartridges housed in another corresponding cartridge housing section into the production machine. Thus, the removal of the used cartridges and the insertion of the new cartridges can be carried out without repeating the running of the transferring and loading cart. Further, the pitch of the plural cartridge housing sections equals the arrangement pitch of the cartridge magazines, thereby enabling the plurality of cartridges to be simultaneously transferred and loaded with the transferring and loading cart remaining stopped. Accordingly, the amount of time required to change the cartridges is reduced.
According to the present invention, cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism control means may be provided for operating the plurality of cartridge moving-in and -out mechanisms of the moving cart in parallel.
When the plurality of cartridge moving-in and -out mechanisms of the moving cart are thus operated in parallel, the plurality of cartridges can be simultaneously transferred and loaded, thereby further reducing the amount of time required to change the cartridge.
The cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism control means operates each of the cartridge moving-in and -out mechanisms in such a manner as to move the cartridges from one of the cartridge housing sections of the transferring and loading cart to the cartridge magazine while loading the cartridges from the cartridge magazine in the other cartridge housing section. When the cartridges are thus moved from one of the cartridge housing sections of the transferring and loading cart to the cartridge magazine while the cartridges from the cartridge magazine are loaded in the other cartridge housing section, the plurality of cartridges from the cartridge magazines can be simultaneously changed while the working cart is stopped, thereby further reducing the amount of time required for the change.
A tool cartridge changing device according to the present invention changes cartridges with tools mounted thereon for a production machine that uses the cartridges, and comprises a transferring and loading cart which has a cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism mounted thereon for moving the cartridge in and out and which runs on a linearly extending running path, a plurality of cartridge magazines contiguously arranged close to and parallel with the running path and in each of which the cartridges can be housed, and a setup station arranged contiguously arranged at an end of a row of cartridge magazines in an arrangement direction thereof and in each of which the cartridges can be housed.
With this configuration, since the cartridge transferring and loading device has the cartridge moving-in and -out mechanisms that can move the cartridges in and out, the cartridge magazines and the production machine are not required to have a drive mechanism for allowing the cartridges to be transferred and loaded. Thus, even if a large number of cartridge magazines are provided, the individual magazines are not required to have a drive mechanism for moving the cartridges in and out, resulting in a simple configuration. Additionally, since the setup station is arranged contiguously at the end of the row of contiguously arranged cartridge magazines in the arrangement direction thereof, the transferring and loading cart with the cartridge moving-in and -out mechanism can automatically move the cartridges into and out from the setup station. Further, the setup station is arranged at the end of the row of cartridge magazines, thereby allowing a setup operation to be performed in a large space. Thus, the cartridges can be efficiently set up.
According to the present invention, the production machine may be a punch press using a vertical pair of cartridges each having a punch tool and a die tool mounted thereon. In this case, the cartridge moving-in and -out mechanisms of the transferring and loading cart, the cartridge magazines, and the setup station may each allow the vertical pair of cartridges to be simultaneously moved thereinto and out therefrom, and the setup station may have a vertical-cartridge shifting mechanism for sliding the lower cartridge in a horizontal direction relative to the upper cartridge.
If the setup station thus has the vertical-cartridge shifting mechanism, the lower cartridge with the die mounted thereon can be slid to form a large space above. Thus, the setup operation such as replacement of the die of the lower cartridge can be easily performed without being obstructed by the upper cartridge. According to the present invention, the setup station may have an opening and closing cover that covers a stored portion of the cartridge from above and interlock means for disabling the transferring and loading cart from moving to the setup station while the opening and closing cover is open.
With this configuration, the opening and closing cover of the setup station is normally closed, thereby preventing the cartridges stored in the setup station and the interior thereof from being contaminated with surrounding dusts or the like. The cartridges can be set up with the opening and closing cover open. While the opening and closing cover is open, the interlock means disables the transferring and loading cart from moving to the setup station. Consequently, the transferring and loading cart is prevented from unexpectedly moving to interfere with an operator or components of the setup station, or the like to enable safe setup operations.